Locomotive boiler and fire box



June 17, 1 930. R Q 1,764,981.

LOCOMOTIVE BOILER AND FIRE BOX Filed Jan. 11, 1928 2 Shets-Sheet 1 OOOOOOO wfl 120m uZWws.

June 17, 1930. A. REHFUSS I LOCQMOTIVE BOILER AND FIRE BOX Filed Jan. 11, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Illll ||||||r| ||l|||| Patented June 17, 1930 siren STATES LoUIs' a. REHFUSS, or PHILADELPHIA, rE NsYnvANIA I LOCOL'IOTIVE BOILER AND FIB/E BOX Application filed January 11, 1928. Serial No. 245,895.

My invention relates to a water, tube locomotive boiler.

A purpose of my'invention is to adapt a locomotive boiler to operate at higher pres- .5; sures than have hitherto been safely possible by avoiding having a complete barrel waist or shell section under boiler pressure. I use water and steamcarrying drums and tubes that are all of small section as compared to lo that of the customary barrel or shell. The requisite thickness of metal in a high-pressure drum varies directly with the drum diameter and by making the drums smaller I enable them to withstand higher pressures r and wholly or partially eliminate internal stay bolts.

A further purpose is to adapt a locomotive to get up steam more quickly than has hitherto been possible; I reduce the water volume of the boiler system so that less heat is required to get up steam and spread the water that is present throughout a'number of relatively small drums and many water tubes located for efficient heating. Inci- 35 dentally' I obtain a great reduction in the potential explosive force of the locomotive by avoiding any large quantity of water in any single drum.

A further purpose is to use compound T super-heating of the steam of a locomotive.

Using compound engines I super-heat the steam exhausting from the high-pressure cylinder or cylinders before sending it to the low-pressure cylinder or cylinders and preferably make the low and high-pressure super-heater units counterparts upon opposite sides of the locomotive waist.

A further'purp0se is to provide water tubes that are preferably straight or substantially straight in the waist section of a locomotive boiler, tubes that are easily inspected and cleaned while in place, easlly "removable for replacement and adapted tomaintain violent circulation of water and r .45 to provide upfiow tubesithat are moderately long.

.A further purpose is to-usesubstantially straight tubes in the waist section of a 1000- motive. I make the downflow tubes relatively large and short substantially vertical and preferably at the sides of the waist, and

the upflow tubes in transverse rows across the waist between top and bot-tom headers.

A further purpose is to slope upflow tubes in the waist section of a locomotive rear-..

wardly upwardly to make the flow of water in the tubes counter-current to that of the forwardly travelling hot'products of combustion and to make the tubes adapted to engage sparks which comprise incompletely burnt particles of fuel so that such particles drop to the floor of the waist for completeburning.

A further purpose is to give tubes in the waist section of alocomotive an upward slope sufficient to insure rapid circulation and an angle with the vertical sufficient to make the tubes moderately long.

Arfurther purpose is to roof and floor the waist section ofa locomotive with upper and lower rows of transverse headers connected together by rows of upflow tubes and to provide. the headers with hand-holes alined with the individual upfiow tubes for use in v inspecting, clean ng or replacmg these tubes,

A further purpose is to provide access to transverse headers roofing and flooring the .waist section of a locomotive by means of a removable cover above the upper headers and a suitable repair space headers.

A further purposeis to provide a locomotive waist section with four horizontal drums relatively spaced sectionally at the below the lower upper and lower corners of a square, one at 8 .the top and bottom on each side of the waist baffles across the interior of the 7 ing the heads along each side of the fire-boil,

side top drums and an intermediate and higher steam chamber connecting into and extending forwardly from the upper head,

and rows of watertu'bing between the dif ferent drums. I provide water tube connections between each bottom water drum and the two top water drums that comprise a row of tubes from the bottom drum connecting alternately into the top drums on opposite sides of the locomotive.

A further purpose is to 'partially heatshield a steam drum over the fire-box and combustion chamber of a locomotive by means of interlacing and reversely sloping sets of transversely extending water tubes below the drum. I thus shield the drum or drums from direct radiation from the combustion chamher and yet permit some circulation of hot gases around the steam'drum ordrums to properly eliminate any moisture carried from the water drums into the steam drums.

A further purpose is to avoid water surging in long horizontal drums that are partially filled with water and partially with steam. I provide by-passing pipe connection between different portions of the length of. the drums and also may use suitable its going up or down hill.

Further purposes will appear in the specification and in the claims.

I have elected to show two only of the 'many different forms of my invention selecting forms that are eiiicient and practical in operat on and which Wlll illustrate the principles involved.

- Figurel is a vertical section of a l-ocomotive structure embodying a preferred form of my invention and corresponds to section line 11 of Figure 2. V 7

Figure 2 is a section to enlarged scale taken upon the llIl622 of Figure l, in the direction of the arrows, with some of the parts removed. Figure 3 is a section to enlarged scale taken on the line 3-3 of Fi ure 1. Y

Figure 4- is a top plan view of Figure 1 with the cover removed and some other parts removed for greater clearness.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary left end elevation of structure seen in Figure'with some of the parts removed.

' Figure 6 is a section taken uponthe line 6 -6 of Figurefh I Figure? is a fragmentary detaih'in part section, showing connection between the bottom fire-boX-drum and the rear water space header.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary perspective view of a bottom firebox-drum.

Figures 9 and 10 are fragmentary views showing alternative arrangements of diagonal riser tubes and one form of super-heater section, respectively.

Like numerals refer to like parts in all figures. V Q

- Describing in illustration and not in limitation and referring to the drawings:

Describing first the structure shown in Figures 1 to 10.

Any design of locomotive has necessarily been limited by the dimensions of tunnels and by track gages, restricting height and width, permitting extension in length only. This has made application of water tubes to boil- 7' ers difficult.

The main structure includes a fire-box portion 20 at the rear, a combustion chamber and flameway portion 21, immediately above and front of the fire-box, a water tube waist portion 22 in front of the flameway and a forward portion'23 containing super-heaters,

engines,stack and piping between the super heaters and engines and between the engines and the stack. g

The steam and water system broadly include vertical rear and front heads 24 and 25, horizontal drums 32 and 33 at the bottom along the sides for the length of the system, horizontal drums 28 and 29 along the sides at the'top, horizontal steam drums 30 and 31 at the top between and somewhat above the connections betweenthe side drums at the top and the steam drums and piplng from the steam drums to the super-heaters and from the super-heaters to the'engines.

'The'rearward head 24 connectsat the top into the rear ends of side water drums 28 and 29 and of the steam drums 30 and 31, and

. connects at the bottom into'the water drums "32 and 33 which connect attheir forward ends into thefront head 25,

The heads are also connected together by the arch supporting tubes 34 which carry a usual brick arch 35 between fire-box and com- V-bustionchamber. The wallportions36 and '3? of the front head that receive the lower ends of the archsupporting tubes are pref- V to the endsof erably' sloped perpendicular tlieen ilng'tubes 34.

Adjacent rows of water tubes A and B connect from the top of each of the lower bottom wateiidrums '32 and 33 respectively into the two top'water drums, pipes B connecting-the'upper and lower water drums that are upon the same sides-and com-prising dewhflow tubes while pipes Aconne'ct the upper and lower water drums upon opposite sides. 1

The adjacent rows of pipes A- 'and B enter the lower drums along lines that are somewhat angularly' offset, as best seen Figure'2, and the pipes of each row are relatively spaced a distance substantially equal to the pipe diameter so that the pipes trom the lower'wvater drums to the upper drums on the opposite sides of the locom tive are in substantial cont actwhe'r'e they cross at 38, Figures 1 and ahelow the steam drums.

The steam drums 30 and 31 (Figures 1, 2 and 4-) are fastened together and are eflective'l single ehambeh The' smaller diameters incident to making the drums separate make'them adapted to withstand higher presone or other of the upper drums and29.;

The steam drums 30 and 3 1 preferably stop sures than would be the case if a single drum were used having the capacity of the combined units moreover the vertical height of the top of the double drum form of steam chamber is somewhat lower than would be the case with a single drum and this may be important in view of thene'ed for limiting the height to that which may have proper clearance for tunnels,

I show a ele h at opening at 39 in the forward headerthe water space frame.

will be'seen that the firebox and combustion chain-her walls comprise the B tubes adjacent lower portions ef the A tubes both extending upwardly from the lower Water drums and that the roof comprises the up er pert iens of the two rows of A tubes where they bend around from beneath the upper water drum on one side to the water drum on the other'side- I V r The two, rows of dressing A tribes are in substantial eentaet' at 3 8 immediately beneath the middle'of steai'n drums and effectively shield the steam'dru ms from direct radiation from the e'erhbaetien chamber and fire-hex yetby reason of open spaces 38 per m-it reasonable eir'ealat'reh er gas up around the steam chums in order to maintain suitable heat around these drums;

The-section immediately front of the forward head 25 of the water space frame comprises a'flemeway portion of the corhbus- 7 tion c h-amber that is'consider'ably longer at thebottorn thai iatth-e top because of the upward G he of the water tubes in the waist pertien which immediately fol lows" the 1 In the illustration the lower water drums "tenant or the-forward head of the water space fillfi jie S ll'dWIi in tWO" SBCtlOflS; 40 and 41 respectivelyfor the reason only-that long pipe lengths: are diflicult'to obtain; The

surface.

pipes 42 (Figure 1) which serve to stiffen the structure and also afford additional heating 'Rows of tubes E and 'eirtend from the lower water drums 40 to drums '28 and 29.

They are in general very similar to the rows of tubes B and A; respectively and perform the same function as they do but further forward in the combustion chamber.

The tubes E connect the upper and lower drums that are upon the same side andmay therefore be sub'stantially'straight While the tubesD connect those that are upon opposite sides and hence are bent t'o' cross the "ch-am The space above the head 25 is protected at the sides and top by tubes C'and Cwhich are quite similar in'functio'n to-tub'es and D;

They cross the chamber and connect with short of an inclined tu'b'e section later described, in order to permitwith'drawal of the inclined tubes. The drums are connected at 43 into pipes 44 leading to the high pressure' super-heater 45 placed at the front'or the waist; v

In the Waist in front of the flamew'ay por tion 46 of the combustion chamber I place a series of rearwardly and upward-ly sloping headers 47. A similar series of transverse headers 48 is provided between the upper water drums 28'a11'd 29, the series of headers between theuppe'r drums being farther to the rear than those between the lower drums.

I The corresponding upper and lower vh'eaders 47 and 48 respectively, are connected tog'ether by rows of inclined straight pipes 49 which are 'spac'edalongthe length or the he'a'der's a suffici'ent distance to provide room for the passage of the hot products of combustion and slope re'arWard-ly and upwardly byreason of the" upper series of headers being' spaced fartherbaekthan the lower series o'f'hea'ders. The pipes 49 form the inclined tube sections to which reference has-previous 1 been made; f I p l V Hand holes 50 are provided along" each uppera'nd each lower header in alinement with the sloping'tubes. These holes, sealed by suitable covers 51,= giv access to tube inter'io'rs for inspection and cleaning and also give access for removal of old tubes and the insertion of newones.

I Show Figure 3 one row only of transversely spaced, rearwardl'y and upwardly slopingtubes 49 betweeneaeh' air or correspending-headers. V [f p Optionally however,- I may make the headers of size to receivemore than one. row of tubes, as We er mere roW's,,a'I'1-'d illustrate this in Figure 9, where I show headers 48 and 48 each provided with two rows of tubes 49 connecting with corresponding lower headers not shown. 7 7

The headers are available for inspection, repairs or the'like at the top by lifting a removable covered'plate 52 and at the bottom from within a repair space 53 which is normally closed by a door 54. r r

It will be understood that'the headers 48 at the top preferably form what is substantially a roof for. the main flue ofthe furnace,

successive headers being substantially in contact with one another. The corresponding lower headers 47 form what is substantially a floor ofthe furnace. v

' The sloping tubes may be put into place after the tubular frame work including the upper and lower water drums and transverse headers have been installed and properly fastened together'into a single structure, the tubes sliding 'down from the top through the upper hand holes 50.

The series of pipes 49 between thetransverse headers47 and 48 are upflow pipes and the corresponding downflow V pipes are straight pipes 55 preferably larger than pipes 49. The pipes 55 make vertical connection between the upper and lower water drums on each, side.v 'They are less efficient heaters by reason of their larger size and hence bepipes. V The upper side drums 28 and 29 are 7 j partially filled with-water and part1ally filled '45 with steam, a normal water level being about that indicated at 56, Figure 2. I r

' Obviousy during periods of speed acceleration and periods'ofgoing up hill there is 7 some tendency for the water in the drums 28 and 29 to pile up between the forward ends of the side drums and the steam drums and thereby. to producev water throttling or possibly even momentary water sealing between the steamgenerated at the front ofthe locomotive and the steam drums and to-avoid danger of heavy slugs of water being carried into the steam drums I preferably provide by-passing pipes 57. These pipes extend along and somewhat above the'respective top water drums, connecting with the drums at different points 58 and desirably also connect into the steam drums at 59 and into the steam V supply lines at 60 before the'superheater, (Figure 4');

Theseqpipes preventdangerof fluctuation :in pressure due to'any water surging in the water drums and greatly lessen any danger of water slugs being carried over into the steam drums.

I may also provide transverse baflies or dams 61 at intervals along the waterdrums.

.As indicated these dams extend upwardly from the bottom so as to prevent any material a longitudinal flow. of water in the drums with out affecting seriously the flow of steam which takesplace above the dams rearwardly along the-water drums to the steam drums, and from the steam drums forwardly through pipes 44 to the high pressure superheater 45. y y V The pipes 44 from the steam drums 30 and 81 to the high pressure super-heater header extend from the forward ends of the respective steam drums diagonally. downward to run along-the lower sides of the water drums just inwardly from the downfiow pipes between the upper and lower water drums.

lVhile Ihave illustrated these steam pipes as leaving the steam drums from the forward ends of the drums it isobvious that if desired they may leave the steam drums from the lower side, an arrangement which might have some advantage in that it would permitthe row of transverse headers 48 between the upper side drums 28 and-29 to begin further rearwardly and infthat it-avoids an open 'space63, Figure 4 betweenthe forward ends of the steam drums andthefirst transverse header 48. a

In the figures I show a riveted construction of drums. For pressures much above 500 lbs. .it will usually be advisable to use a forging construction.

The super-heaters may be of any suitable type and their indication on the drawings is intended as a conventional one for any suitable super-heaters. 7

Obviously if desired only. the high-press sure steam supply may be subjected to super-- heating but I prefer to super-heatalso the steam that leaves the high-pressure cylinder or cylinders of a compoundunit before it goes to the low-pressure cylinder'or cylin- 7 ders.

As best seen in Figures 1, 4 and 5, the steamgenerated chiefly in the different upflowtubes,-A D, C and 49 and headers 48in.-

itially enters the upper side drums 28 and 29 whence itv flows through suitable connections be seen that steam generated in the waist portionof the locomotive flows rearwardly along the upper water drums to enter the Steam chambers 30 and 31. r 7} 7 From the steam drums the steam flows forwardly through pipes 44 into a header 65 which connects at 66'into the high-pressure side of the super-heater.

Highspressure super-heater pipes 67b6X- 12G 64 into the steam drums 30 and 31. It will asi 'nop

low-pressure cylinders atthe sides. The in dication of the piping and of these cylinders is intended as a conventionalone for any suitable piping and suitable cylinders.

The exhaust from the high-pressure cylinder flows through pipe 7 2 to the body portion 73-of the low-pressure super-heater, then to the super-heater coils 74 which except for possible larger sectional pipe areas due to the greater volume of thelow-pressure steam may be counterpart to the higlrpressure coils 67 and are locatedon the opposite side of the locomotive below the drum 29.

Passing through the coils 74 the superheated low-pressure steam flows back to the body of the super-heater and from there through pipe 75 and branch pipes 76 and 77 to. the low-pressure cylinders and 71.

Discharge from the low-pressure cylinders takes place through pipes 78 and 79 into an outlet nozzle 80 directed upwardly into the stack.

A feed water connection is shown at 81 Figure 4) into one of the bottom side drums. There should be suitable provision for maintaining substantially definite quantity of water in the system, but this forms in itself art of the present invention and has therefore not been shown.

The flameway portion lmmediately after the fire box provides a space for more complete combustion of the hotproducts before they are cooled by engagement with the transverse tubes 49. I v a v This fiameway or additional combustion space between the fire box and the transverse tubes 49 is one of the advantageous features of my invention and very V materially in creases the effectiveness of'combustion.

It will be seen that the fiameway portion of the waist is provided with tubular roof, tubular floor and tubular walls but does not have thetra-nsverse rows of upwardly and rearwardly extending water tubes across the interior section of the flue.

The word flameway as used in the specification and claims thus means a portion of fiue beyond the fire box that is open in that it does not have water-tubesextending transversely across its interior.

In view of my invention and disclosure variations and modifications to meet individual whim or .particular need will doubtless become evident to, others skilled in the art, to obtain all or part of the benefit .of my invention without copying the structure shown, and I, therefore, claim all suchin so far as they fall within the reasonable spirit and scope'of my invention.

Having thus describedmy'invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is a k 1. In a locomotive comprising a water tube type of boiler and a smoke box forwardly thereof and successive lengths 'of the boiler including from the rearward end thereof a fire box, acombus'tion chamber and a flue section, a pair of horizontally spaced upper drums extending substantially the length of the boiler, a pair of horizontally spaced lower drums. extending substantially the length of the fire box and having substantially vertical water tube connections with the upper drums, a transverse water leg connecting the for-' ward ends of the lower drums, apair of horizontally spaced lowerdrums extending forwardly of the fire box beyond the forward ends of the upper drums and connected at their rearward ends into said transverse water leg, headers connecting said upper drums to one another at near'intervals along a portion of their length forwardly of the fire box, other headers connecting said second mentioned pair of lower drumsto one another at near intervals along-a forward portion of their length and rearwardly and upwardly inclined water tubes connecting said upper'headers to said lower headers, the inclination of said tubes providing a combustion chamber between the-fire box and said water tubes. 7 a

2. Inalocomotive comprising a water tube type of boiler and a smoke box forwardly thereof and successive lengths of the boiler including from the rearward end thereof a fire box, a combustion chamber and a fine section, a pair of horizontally spaced upper drums extending substantially the length of the boiler, a pairof horizontally spaced lower drums extending substantially the length of the fire box and having substantially vertical watertube connections with the upper drums, a "transver'se'water legv connectinggthe, forward endsof the lower drums, a-pairof horizontally spaced lower drums extending forwardly of the fire box beyond the forwardends of the upper drums and connected at their rearward ends "into said transverse water leg, headers connecting said upper drums to one another at near-intervals along a portion of their length forwardly of. the fire box, other headers connecting said second mentioned pair of lower drums to one another atnear intervals along a forward portion of their length, rearwardly and upwardly inclined water tubes connecting said upper headers to said lower headers, the-intion chamber between the fire box and said water tubes, a steam drum over the fire box intermediate, higher-than and connected to the said upper drums, and super-heater coils at both sidesof the section outwardly of the inclined water tubes andconnected with the steam drum. c

3. Ina locomotive comprising a water tube type, of boiler and a smoke box forwardly thereof andsuccessive lengths of the boiler including from the rearward end thereof a fire box, a combustion chamber and a'fiue section, a pair of horizontally spaced upper drums extending substantially the length of the boiler, a pair of horizontally spaced lower drums extending substantially the length of water leg, headers connecting said upper drums to one another at near intervals along a portion of their length forwardly of the fire box, other headers connecting said second mentioned pair'of lower drums to one another, at near intervals along a forward portion of their length, rearwardly and upwardly inclined water tubes connecting said upper headers to said lower headers, the inclination of said tubes providing a combustion chamber between the fire box and said water tubes and a pair of steam drums over the fire box intermediate and higher than V the said upper side drums, the steam drums having conduit connnection with each other and with the tops of the said upper side drums.

4:. In a locomotive comprising a water tube type of boiler and a smoke box forwardly thereof and successive lengths of the boiler including from'the rearward end thereof a fire box, a combustion chamber and a flue section, a pair of horizontally spaced upper drums extending substantially the length of the boiler, a pair of horizontally spaced lower drums extendin substantially the length of the fire box a row of water tubes from each bottom water drum up along the sides of the box and alternately connecting respectively into the upper drum on the same side and the'upper drum on the opposite side,

transverse water leg-connecting the 101"- ward ends of the lower drums, a pair of horizontally spaced lowerdrums extending forwardly of the fire box beyond the forward endsrof the upper drums and connected at their rearward ends into said transverse water leg, headers, connecting said upper drums to one another at near intervals along a portion of their length forwardly of the fire box, other headers connecting said second mentioned pair of lower,

drums to one another atvnear intervals along a forward portion of their length, rearwardly and upwardly inclined water tubes con-' necting said upper headersjto said lower headers, the inclination of said tubes providing a combustion chamber between the fire box and said water tubes, a pair of steam drums side by side over the box and intermediate and higher than the upper side drums and conduit connections betweenthe'steam drums'and the upper side drums.

5. In a locomotive comprising a water tube type of boiler and a smoke box forwardlyi thereof and successive lengths of'the boiler including from the rearward end thereof a fire box, a combustion chamber and a flue sectioinhorizontal side drums along the'top and bottom ofthe boiler substantially for the length thereof, the bottom drums extending further forward than the top drums, a

furnace ceiling ofjclosely spaced headers from the fire box to near the forward end of the upper drums, rows of rearwardly and upwardly sloping upflow tubes connecting thetransverse upper headers withthe more 7 rearward transverse lower headers, and a row of substantially vertical downfiow tubes along each side forward of the fire box connecting the upper and lower side drums, the connection between the more rearward upper transverse headers with the more forward lower transverse headers leaving a fiameway space beyond the fire box substantially free from the connecting tubes across the area of the section.

6. In a locomotive comprising a water tube type of boilerand a smoke box for wardly thereof and successive lengths of the boiler including from the rearward end thereof a fire box, a combustionchamber and a flue section, a pair ofhorizontally spaced upper drums extending substantially the lengthof'the boiler, a pair of horizontally spaced lower drums extending substantially the length of the fire box and having substantially vertical water tube connections with the upper drums, a transverse water leg connecting the forward ends of the lower i drums, a pair of horizontally spaced lower drums extending forwardly ofthe fire box beyond the forward ends'of the upper drums and connected at their rearward ends into said transversewater leg, headers connecting sald upper drums to one another at near intervals along a portion of their length forwardly of the fire box, other headers connectlng said second mentioned pair of lower drums to one another at near intervals along a forward portion of their length, rearwardly, upwardly inclined water tubes connecting said upper headers to said lower headers, the inclination of said tubes providing a combustion chamber between the fire box and said water tubes, a steam drum above the fire box higher than and having connections with the tops of the upper side drums and side steam supply pipes from the forward end of the steam drum extending forwardly lower than the upper horizontal side drums in combination'with side steam pipes higher than the said upper drums and connected into the tops thereof at spaced intervals along their length and into the steam drum at the rear.

7. In a locomotive comprising a water tube type of boiler and a smoke box forwardly thereof and successive lengths of the boiler including from the rearward end thereof a fire box, a combustion chamber and a flue section, a pair of horizontally spaced upper drums extending substantially the length of the boiler, a pair of horizontally spaced lower drums extending substantially the length of the fire box and having substantially vertical water tube connections with the upper drums, a transverse water leg connecting the forward ends of the lower drums, a pair of horizontally spaced lower drums extending forwardly of the firebox beyond the forward ends of the upper drums and connected at their rearward ends into said transverse water leg, headers connecting said upper drums to one another at near intervals along a portion of their length forwardly of the fire box, other headers connecting said second mentioned pair of lower drums to one another at near intervals along a forward portion of their length and rearwardly, upwardly inclined water tubes connecting said upper headers to said lower headers, the inclination of said tubes providing a combustion chamber between the fire box and said water tubes, a steam drum above the fire box higher than and having connections with the tops of the upper side drums and side steam supply pipes from the forward end of the steam drum extending forwardly lower than the upper horizontal side drums in combination with side steam pipes higher than the said upper drums and connected at intervals along their length into the tops thereof and dams at spaced intervals across the interior of the upper side drums extending upwardly from the bottom and leaving spaces for the rearward flow of steam to the steam chamber.

LOUIS A. REHFUSS. 

